I think as women, we can feel pressured into following what we think we should be doing with our lives versus pursuing passion placed in our hearts. 
I often hear women talk about feeling selfish, or guilty, for wanting to follow their passions. I have heard comments of feeling torn between living a life of “God-ordained purpose” versus “self-centered desire”.
Psalm 37:4 says “Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” You have to know that God wants to give you not just the bare necessities, but the desires of your heart. It’s not superficial, only HE knows the tiniest desires of our hearts.
What is your Passion?
We dream our dreams… but then life happens. Or maybe you were told your dreams were unrealistic? Somewhere along the way between childhood and womanhood, you were taught to be “realistic”. You were probably drilled into seeing growing up as showing up at eight o’clock, do a job you probably dislike and go home at five o’clock. You may have been told that you have to grow up and get married, have children by a certain age, and that being a stay-at-home-mom doesn’t pay the bills.
Maybe you thought you heard God speaking to you, felt a calling to a certain type of life and a special kind of work. So, what happened? Often times in our desire to be “responsible, practical and realistic adults” too many of us lost touch with our God-given gifts. We felt defeated and gave up the pursuit of turning our dreams into enjoyable and fulfilling work.
It doesn’t need to be that way! All of us, no matter how old we are or what kind of work we’re doing, can learn to bring that authentic passion to our work.
What is your Purpose?
If I asked you what your best quality is, would that make you nervous or uncomfortable? I once read a quote “women generally underestimate their abilities… success, it turns out, correlates just as closely with confidence as it does with competence.” I encourage you to wholeheartedly discover what your best qualities and God-given abilities are. Be confident with the talents you have been blessed with.
Meaningful, purposeful and profitable work really is a possibility! It begins with discovering what you do best and then considering how you can use your talents daily. The moment you realize this, you’ve taken a critical step towards reawakening your dreams and passions. Complacency will become unacceptable and the idea of putting your Calling on the shelf becomes intolerable. We have the opportunity to use our working hours engaging in work that will elevate us to our highest Calling and transform the world around us.
Have faith and pray for God to open your eyes to opportunities that await you. Whether you decide to step out into something new or revamp your current career, you’ll find you can’t go back to the old way of working. We can find ways to express our hopes and dreams in our daily work.
What is your Career?
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).
Even when you’ve nailed your Calling, you will have bills to pay.
Given the amount of time we spend working, failure to find meaningful work can make each day feel miserable. But can we really do what we’re best at and do well financially? I once heard the saying “God wants us to be obsessively preoccupied with the needs of others.” Too many people shun the idea of making money as evil. They are taught that God’s work can only be done by giving something away, or living minimally. Thoughts like this lead people into depression and can deprive them of releasing their own greatest talents for fear of what people may think. Having money in itself is not shameful, it is up to us to put it toward good use. Prospering for the sake of giving to others can be a powerful tool, it essentially becomes an issue of the heart.
My husband and I started our business with a desire to “bless and be a blessing”. What is currently our business initially started as a hobby with no thoughts on developing a business model. Our hobby expanded into a business once we realized it was our way to bless others. There are many in the world that need help and hope, and while we can’t help everyone, we can help someone. Every day we pray for grace and guidance as we use our business as a ministry tool.
Maybe you are thinking you can never start a business? Struggling with the desire to be a stay-at-home-mom? Think working from home is out of your grasp? Feel like you are stuck in a dead-end career? Whether you are in the home, out in the field or in an office, be faithful and use your talents where God plants you. There is no reason why you can’t start a business, be a stay-at-home-mom, work from home, or be a leader in your career. I personally hold college degrees in Exercise and Sports Science and Nutrition, 15 years experience in customer service and sales, and 8 years of public speaking. God let me go through different seasons and positions in my life to help strengthen and develop the talents and abilities He had given me. These abilities have become an important part of what I do now and how I contribute to our business. You can read a little more about my story on the WOW blog post “Do You Have The Courage To Dream?”
What about you: What is your Passion and Purpose? How can you incorporate them into your life and Career? Asking yourself this can help bring you clarity not only for your next steps, but for your long-term vision and Calling. Now, go on and reignite those passions and let your mind run wild. Embrace your Calling, and find—or create—work that is meaningful, purposeful and profitable for God’s glory!
A little bit about Alexandra: Alexandra Tresch is an animal lover, health enthusiast and CEO of Fragrant Elegance Soy Candle Company. She is passionate about educating others on how to expand their God given dreams and visions into their businesses. In her free time, she enjoys breakfast with her husband, and snuggling with her pet bird. She also enjoys attending Christian Womens Conferences like Women of the Word. Alexandra can be contacted a www.fragrantelegance.com